1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to munitions and cartridges employing a main projectile which contains multiple projectiles; these munitions and cartridges are used for training and tactical purposes in military applications and used for hunting in commercial applications. In particular, this invention relates to small, medium and large caliber ammunition including shot gun, mortar, canister, tank, artillery and canon caliber munitions comprising chemlucent chemicals capable of providing tracers to detail the trajectory of the multiple projectiles and mark target impact locations. More specifically, the main projectile and the multiple projectiles launched from the main projectile provides a trace/mark of its flight and impact area on the target. This is accomplished by chemlucent chemicals coated on the multiple projectiles emit light in visible light or IR spectrum. The chemlucents used are biodegradable, non-toxic and non-flammable.
2. Background of the Invention
In both military and non-military organizations, training and tactical exercises commonly employ materials capable of providing a visible trace of a projectile's trajectory after firing from a weapon. This visible trace, or tracer, assures that the projectile has been delivered to its desired target site and that its flight path has been traced from gun tube to target.
A requirement for the tracer is that an observer should be able to see the tracer in the applications it is intended for. The present invention can be used for observation of multiple projectiles in low light conditions.
Current tracer technology employs pyrotechnic compositions comprised of pyrotechnic materials that burn and create light. These pyrotechnic compositions are typically loaded into the back end of the projectile, or round. Common to the industry, when a projectile is loaded into a cartridge case containing a primer and propellant, the entire round is called a cartridge. After the projectile is fired from the weapon, the tracer ignites and burns, creating a visible light that can be observed as the projectile travels to its target. The observer or gunner can consequently see the trace of the projectile flight. If necessary, the observer can then adjust the weapon so that the next round fired can impact the desired target location. Exemplary pyrotechnic compositions suitable for such purpose may contain such chemicals as strontium nitrate, magnesium powder, potassium nitrate, barium nitrate, chlorinated rubber and the like.
Although such conventional methods have met with some degree of success, workers in the art have encountered certain difficulties. For example, tracer ammunition has frequently resulted in fires on training ranges that have been attributed to energetic material tracers contacting and burning surrounding brush and other ground material. These fires incur additional costs in extinguishing the fires and also interrupt training exercise. Consequently, training exercises may be extended to replace time lost, thereby incurring additional expense. Furthermore, materials used in pyrotechnic tracers are environmentally unfriendly. These materials often pose environmental hazards to training areas as a result of toxic emissions into the atmosphere and such materials leaching into ground water. Still further, tracer materials commonly in use are impact and pressure sensitive. Since projectiles housing the pyrotechnic materials may be transported, the nature and explosive properties of these pyrotechnic materials add significant costs and danger to personnel.
Tracers have also utilized chemlucent or chemiluminescent materials. The chemlucent or chemiluminescent materials are similar to conventional chemiluminescents, however, certain ingredients and manufacturing techniques were developed to obtain the capability of long duration (up to several hours for marker application) and high light intensity tracing and marking capability. The oxalate component employed is in a liquid (contained in glass vials) and may also be made into a powdered form. When the oxalate is mixed with liquid peroxide, a non-toxic slurry is formed that is non-flammable and biodegradable and gives off light. In addition, the chemiluminescent can provide a visible or infrared (IR) light source. The infrared (IR) light source provides a stealth capability such that only soldiers with infrared (IR) vision equipment can observe the trace or mark. As taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,181, granted on Dec. 24, 2002, which is incorporated herein by reference, the chemlucent can be used to provide a trace for a projectile. This projectile, carried the chemlucent as a cargo, to be dispersed by the projectile after impact onto a target and therefore mark the target with the chemlucent material.
For purposes of explanation it should be noted that the following is commonly known to the industry. Ammunition that contains a main projectile, which houses multiple projectiles, and the main projectiles breaks up in the gun or at the gun muzzle exit, releasing the multiple projectiles to continue on to engage the target, is known as or referred to as a muzzle action cartridge, muzzle action round or muzzle action projectile. Ammunition that contains a main projectile, which houses multiple projectiles, and the main projectiles continues on to target a distance until a fuze is activated and expels the multiple projectile payload to continue on and engage the target, is known as or referred to as a cargo cartridge or cargo round or cargo projectile.
Although this technology has proven to be useful, it would be desirable to present additional improvements. What is needed is a way to provide trace and mark to multiple projectiles housed in a single main projectile, which is part of a ammunition cartridge for muzzle action projectiles. It is also desirable to provide trace and mark for a main cargo projectile that carries multiple projectiles a distance and then with fuze action expel the multiple projectiles (the main projectile falls to the ground) to continue and engage the target. Therefore, trace is needed for the main projectile and then trace and mark is needed for the multiple projectiles after they leave the main projectile. The method of providing the trajectory trace and target impact mark should be non-flammable, biodegradable, and non-toxic. Another need is to have a chemlucent chemical, in a powdered or slurry form, that emits light (visible or IR) and can be fired along with the multiple projectiles and travel in the same vicinity of the projectiles and mark the target impact area. The need is for small, medium and large caliber ammunition including shotgun, canister, cargo, mortar, artillery and tank ammunition projectiles that are part of a cartridge. The need for such a system has heretofore remained unsatisfied.